Joseph Loved Mary

Mary loved Joseph even before they were given the job of taking care of God's Son, Jesus. The thing that might have hurt their relationship was viewed by the people of the Nazareth as somewhat of a scandal, and even their parents were surprised by the news. It took the intervention of the angels to tell both of them that everything would be alright. What God chose to do to bring His Son into the world was planned according to His Will. Joseph did like any self-respecting man would do when encountering something like this; he would put her away until he could figure out what was going on. God was on top of all the details of Christ's birth, and nothing would hinder His coming to earth in the form of a baby. Both the love of Mary and Joseph and the love of God were present in the greatest story ever told, but it is not just a story; it is a reality.

The Wonderful Life of Marriage

I am not saying there are not times that the married life has it's problems, but it is during those times that we learn what we need to work on in our marriages. Marriage is a life-long commitment to the person that you have chosen to love. So many people make their marriages dependent on if it will work out with the person that they think that they are in love with. Marriage is not short-term. I would suggest that if you are interested in someone that you take time to get to know them in every aspect of their lives, so that when you do reach the point of marriage that there are no doubts. The life together is definitely different from the single life, but it is a wonderful life. I think that Hollywood has tarnished marriage, and made it something undesirable. I have seen the other side of life with divorce, separation, and abuse. I have not seen it on a first hand basis, but I have seen it in other peoples lives. These things make life more complicated (referring to divorce, separation, and abuse), and those things are undesirable. Many of these things could be avoided, if people would wait and get to know these people. Love is blind. It is an emotion that can get out of control, if you are not following the principles of I Corinthians 13. There also those people that thought they were marrying the right person, and once the commitment was made everything went south. It is in the home that things are kept from the world's view, and unless someone says something; they stay a secret. So many people are trapped in these situations. It is God that knows everything about us and has chosen to love us unconditionally, and yet we have chosen to be unfaithful. There are many things that destroy marriages, and here are just a few infidelity, adultery, pornography, alcohol, drugs, and dishonesty. A few of these things could go hand in hand, but the simple fact is that all of these are sin. We have been so blinded by our sinful desires that we cannot call it what it really is. We have all considered the idea of "What if?", but this question has mislead a lot of people and has created broken homes. Don't let all these things cloud your vision. God created marriage and He knew what it could be if done by His book. Many people have treated marriage like a professional sport, and if the team member does not work out then they look for a trade or replacement. This is not easily done, because money becomes involved and creates even more problems. Sin creates so many problems, and until we recognize sin for what it is we will have problems.

I have gotten through those things that are detriment to marriage, but now let us move onto those things that are wonderful about marriage. Marriage makes a dwelling place a home. When children come along they add blessing to the marriage. It opens the heart to give more love to all those that are part of the family. Vows of centuries ago, if not kept there was a hefty price to pay. Vows are made to be kept and are not as easily broken like so many people do nowadays. I will stand by my wife and children, and I will not let anything tear this home apart. I will be the guardian of what God has entrusted me with, and I will be a good steward of what He has given me. I recently watched Veggie Tale's It's A Meaningful Life, and it talks about being happy with the circumstances that you have been placed in. Stewie (Larry the Cucumber) thought that if he had the game-winning catch at the football game that life's circumstances would have been different. He recognized through the different events that he was shown what would have happened to his family if his circumstances were different. God's blessing would have been ignored if all the world had to offer were at his disposal. It is in our time of need that we really see the Lord's provision.

Life alone what will I do?

How will I make it through?

You are not alone, Jesus said.

I will save you and make you new.

I have come to know You now,

And with my life I make a vow,

My life is worth more than gold,

From Your Word I have been told.

Had I not found You, where would I be?

I would be in darkness not able to see.

Your life was given for mine,

I will reflect Your light and make it shine.

Now that I found one with which to share my love,

With Your blessing, the love that came from above.

I will cleave to my wife in every situation and her alone,

And You are my family's cornerstone.

Love Out-poured

Where did love flow freely,
So rich and pure?
My Savior gave His life,
Because He knew it would save mine.

He was broken and bleeding,
He died for those of us needing,
His sacrifice to cover our sins,
Because He know how it ends.

I know that I could not withstand,
What Christ suffered at the Roman's hand.
He gained our salvation on that cross,
So that our souls would not suffer loss.

This love is out-poured for all,
This our hand up from the fall,
For He held nothing back,
So let us give Him our all.

Love Leads

If we truly want to lead our families in the right direction; we have to lead them with love. The way that we show them is by spending time with them. If we put our own selfish interest first; we will loose the family that we have tried to so hard to keep. Today, I heard about a woman who killed her child, because he was distracting her from her game of Farmville (a Facebook game). You have a serious problem when you kill a child over something as childish as that.

I look around and see my wonderful life
Almost perfect from the outside
In picture frames I see my beautiful wife
Always smiling
But on the inside, I can hear her saying...

People can try to cover up what is going on at home, but that facade can be uncovered by the way that it affects those involved. In this song, the wife is calling out for leadership of the family, and that falls upon the husband.

Lead me with strong hands
Stand up when I can't
Don't leave me hungry for love
Chasing dreams, what about us?

A loving hand is a strong hand, and it protects from those things that would hurt the family. It is in the human nature to seek love outside the confines of marriage; if the person is not providing the love that the other person seeks. People seek the love that nurtures; not love that tears down.

Show me you're willing to fight
That I'm still the love of your life
I know we call this our home
But I still feel alone

So many people give up the fight in their relationships and therefore they lose the battle. I have a friend that has felt this way for a long time. Don't make your house a place of loneliness, because of your selfish desires.

I see their faces, look in their innocent eyes
They're just children from the outside
I'm working hard, I tell myself they'll be fine
They're independent
But on the inside, I can hear them saying...

You look into the eyes of your children and see the future of your family. The future is bleak if you do not take the time to spend with your children. If you make your job a priority and your family the last priority; then things will not be fine. The family suffers when you make them feel like their alone and unloved.

Lead me with strong hands
Stand up when I can't
Don't leave me hungry for love
Chasing dreams, but what about us?

Stand up for your family and give them a reason to stay.

Show me you're willing to fight
That I'm still the love of your life
I know we call this our home
But I still feel alone

Fight the good fight, because your family is the most important thing that you have.

So Father, give me the strength
To be everything I'm called to be
Oh, Father, show me the way
To lead them
Won't You lead me?

When you see the hurt that your selfishness has caused; it should wake you up to the fact that your family is drifting further and further away. I know that this fight is not something that we can do alone. Please call upon the Lord, because He can help you to bring your family back together.

To lead them with strong hands
To stand up when they can't
Don't want to leave them hungry for love,
Chasing things that I could give up

When we have things that occupy our time that do not benefit the family; it is time to reconsider what you are doing. You have someone worth fighting for, and they want to know that you love them.

I'll show them I'm willing to fight
And give them the best of my life
So we can call this our home
Lead me, 'cause I can't do this alone

Father, lead me, 'cause I can't do this alone
(Lead Me- Sanctus Real)

Please, love your family and create an atmosphere of love. Please, take the lead in your family lest they leave your home. A home is place of love. Don't make your home a place of loveless disarray.

God's Perfect Love

We always wonder why some people think that they don't deserve love, but even the worst people need love. God's love is not earned, it is given. He gave everything so that we might have everything in Him. He gave every ounce of love on that cross. We think that love can be ruined by the mistakes that we have made at one time or another. So many people in the Bible made mistakes, but did God love them any less? He loved them even more.

"My Jesus, I love Thee, I know Thou art mine;
For Thee all the follies of sin I resign;
My gracious Redeemer, my Savior art Thou:
If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus 'tis now."
(My Jesus, I Love Thee- William R. Featherston and Adoniram J. Gordon)

It is hard for us to love the unlovely, but that is what Jesus did for us. We are the unlovely. God's love is perfect even we are imperfect.

Love Grows Where Love Shows

Love grows when it is expressed in one way or another. We try to find ways to express our love. It is the small things that mean the most. Here are a few things that could be done to show love: wash the dishes, make the bed, vacuum the floor, and the occasional card of encouragement or flowers. These things might not seem like labors of love, but it is worth the effort to show the one you love that you care. I have seen so many situations where people forgot the little things and the love that was there withered away. If we only do things that benefit ourselves; we are being selfish. "So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:"(Ephesians 5:28,29) I know that not all that read this will be husband and wife, but if you do not start somewhere then your love will end up going nowhere.

No Expert

This might seem like something that some people never find, but I want to tell you that it does wait for those that take time to seek it. I have sought love and it took time to find it. Love is not something mythical, but it is something that you have to dig deeper to find. We look for something that will fill that void that was left at Creation. "And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him and help meet for him."(Genesis 2:18) I am not endorsing country music, but there is an old country song that talked about "looking for love in all the wrong places."(Waylon Jennings) I think that so many people look for short-term arrangements in the love department. "And I find more bitter than the woman, whose heart is snares and nets, and her hands as bands: whoso pleaseth God shall escape from her, but the sinner shall be taken by her."(Ecclesiastes 7:26) King Solomon recognized the folly of his behavior. A love that promises satisfaction for a moment is vanity. It takes time to cultivate love and it takes a listening ear. I want to emphasize the listening ear. So many people talk too much and really don't take the time to listen. How do you get to know someone if you are always running your mouth? The apostle Paul emphasizes some very important things about love in I Corinthians 13. "Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up."(13:4) "Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things."(13:7)

There is a love that is unconditional and has no string attached. Jesus knows everything about us, and we need to take that time to get to know Him. Like any love it takes time to grow. I celebrate the love that I have cultivated with my wife, and it continues to grow a day at a time.

What the experts say will not help to find a love that is lasting. Let me tell you about a book that has everything you need to know about love, God's Word.